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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. B. VANDERBURG.

FRUIT. GATHERER.

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FRUIT GATHERER. No. 463,178. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT 1%.VANDERBURG, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CIIARLES TIIORNBURG, OF SAME PLACE.

FRUlT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,178, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed April 18, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT I3. VANDER- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los An geles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Gatherers, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates, particularly, to conveyers for conveying the fruit from the hand of the operator or person gathering the fruit to a receptacle arranged upon the ground to receive it.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal mid-section of my improved fruit-gatherer on line :0 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plain front view of my invention in position for use. Fig. 3is'an enlarged mid-sectional view of the gathererin position on the ladder. Fig. 4- is a plain front View of r the rear or guard section of the conveyerframe. Fig. 5 is a plain front view of the front or chute section.

My invention comprises the combination of the frame, consisting of the rear orguard section B and the front or chute section C, provided, respectively,with means forattachment to each other, a belt-sustaining pulley arranged at the top of one of the sections, an intermediate support clamped between such sections, and an endless conveyor-belt passing over such roller at the top and arranged loosely around the frame and hanging loose at the bottom and provided with flexible pockets for the reception of the fruit. The intermediate support, which is clamped between the two sections,'consists of an ordinary ladder, and the essential part of my invention consists of the conveyer attachments, which are applied to such ladder so that the operator may stand at any height on the ladder and convey the fruitto the receptacle on the ground.

In the drawings, A represents the ladder, of any suitable length.

B represents the rear seetionof the chute; O, the front section. The two sections B and O respectively comprise two side bars a a and a rear plate bl), at the edges of which re- 50 spectively the side bars are attached. The

side bars a of the rear section are respectively provided at their ends with the supportingbrackets c d, which are beveled to receive the beveled ends of the side bars a of the front section 0. Dowels and socketsefand hooks and eyesg h, or other suitable fastenings, are provided to secure the two complementary sectionsB 0 together. The upper brackets c are arranged in hook form tohook upon the rungs of the ladder to which the conveyer is to be attached, therung resting against the inner face 0 of such bracket. In order to adaptthe gatherer for use upon ladders having rungs of different size, I provide the stiff rung-engaging springs i, which are secured to the side bars a and normally project inwardly toward the side bars Z); but when the two parts B and O are secured to each other with the rung between them the spring is forced outward, as shown I in Fig. 3. Similar springs are arranged at the bottoms of the side members a, and the pressure of such springs upon the rungs of the ladder holds the gatherer from shifting laterally,irrespective0f the size of the rung of the ladder upon which it is secured. A pulley K is journaled in the brackets c, which are situated at the head of the rear section B to sustain the endless belt D, which is provided with the flexible conveyer-pocketsE and is arranged to looselyembrace the rungs of the ladder, the rear or frame plate Z) of the front section, and the head roller 7t when the chute is in position on the ladder. The rear or frame plate Z) of the front section O is curved into hook form at the upper and lower ends 19 so as to present no obstruction to the movement of the belt; and if the metal of which it is formed has sutlicient elasticity it may be made to serve as an equivalent for the springs 't', which may then be dispensed with, or if the brackets are fitted to the rungs of the ladder such spring device may be wholly dispensed with, as the sole object of providing such springs is to hold the device from shifting its position on the ladder-rungs.

The endless belt D and brackets or pockets E are preferably made of canvas, to avoid weight, and the pockets are collapsible, so that on their upward course at the rear of the ladder they will occupy but little space, thus 10o allowing the rear section to be shallower than it otherwise would necessarily have to be made.

- The rear plate I) of the rear section is S- shaped or reversely curved at the ends. The lower member Z of this plate forms a guide to flatten or collapse the pockets E and guide them into the space between such plate and the rungs of the ladder, and the upper member 4% serves as a cover to protect the upper end of the belt D from contact with thelimbs of the trees. The belt is preferably secured. together by lacing, as at n.

In practice the parts are preferably adjusted in place in the following man ner: The

rear section is laid flat, with its front or open side uppermost, and the belt is laid flat therein, with one end passed up between the pulley and the curved member at of the rear plate I). The ladder is then laid in place upon the rear section B, with its top rungs embraced by the upper bracket 0. The front section C is then laid in place on the ladder,

with its ends embraced between the bracketsc and d and the dowels in their sockets, and is secured by the hooks. Then the ends of the belt are brought together and laced. The device is then ready for use. The operator stands upon the ladder to gather the fruit, which is deposited in the pockets as fast as gathered, and the conveyer-belt is moved down by the hand as fast as the pockets are filled, and when the pocket containing the fruit reaches the bottom of the chute and turns to ascend the fruit is emptied into the receptacle without injury.

In the drawings,Vrepresents the receptacle.

The device is adapted for attachment to ordinary ladders; but it is well to comprise both the ladder and the attachment in the device at the time of manufacture, so that the parts may fit each other satisfactorily. When it is desired, the attachment can be removed and stowed away while the ladder is used as an ordinary ladder.

Now, having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the frame consisting of the rear section and the front section, provided, respectively, with means for attaclr ment to each other, a belt-sustaining pulley arranged at the top of one of the sections, an intermediate support clamped between such sections, and an endless conveyer-belt arranged around the frame and provided with pockets for the reception of the fri'iit.

2. The combination of the rear guard-section, comprising the rear plate and the two.

side bars, respectively provided at their ends with the supporting-brackets and provided at the head with the belt-sustaining pulley, the front chute-section, comprising the side bars and rear plate, means for securing the sections together, the ladder,.and the conveyor-belt provided with the flexible pockets. 3. In a-fruit-gatherer substantially such as described, the combination of the ladder, the rear section provided with the hook-formed bracket, the front section provided with the chute-plate and the rung-engaging springs, means for securing the sections together, and the endless belt provided with the pockets.

ROBERT E. VANDERBURG. Vitnesses:

JAMEs R. TOWNSEND, \V. W. LOWE, B. M. OOATE. 

